Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in China
China: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions was 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
38th
of 199 countries
All-time high
9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 2024
All-time low
0.6853 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1875
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in China, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person.
Analysis
In 2024, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in China stood at 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person. That is the highest value across all 175 years on record.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in China peaked at 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.6853 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1875.
China ranks 38th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 1.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1852 | 1.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 1853 | 0.9993 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.4% |
| 1854 | 0.9937 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1855 | 0.985 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1856 | 0.9756 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1857 | 0.9714 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1858 | 0.9609 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1859 | 0.9544 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1860 | 0.927 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1861 | 0.8822 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.8% |
| 1862 | 0.862 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.3% |
| 1863 | 0.8481 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1864 | 0.8341 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1865 | 0.7748 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.1% |
| 1866 | 0.7586 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.1% |
| 1867 | 0.7336 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.3% |
| 1868 | 0.7165 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.3% |
| 1869 | 0.6948 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 1870 | 0.703 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1871 | 0.7008 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1872 | 0.7116 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1873 | 0.7042 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1874 | 0.7066 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1875 | 0.6853 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 1876 | 0.6972 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1877 | 0.7123 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.2% |
| 1878 | 0.7065 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1879 | 0.721 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.0% |
| 1880 | 0.7526 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 1881 | 0.7981 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.0% |
| 1882 | 0.8233 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 1883 | 0.8352 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1884 | 0.8433 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1885 | 0.8289 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1886 | 0.8622 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1887 | 0.8774 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1888 | 0.889 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1889 | 0.9112 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1890 | 0.964 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.8% |
| 1891 | 0.9978 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.5% |
| 1892 | 0.992 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1893 | 1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1894 | 1.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1895 | 1.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1896 | 1.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1897 | 1.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1898 | 1.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1899 | 1.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1900 | 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1901 | 1.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.5% |
| 1902 | 1.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1903 | 1.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1904 | 1.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1905 | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1906 | 1.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1907 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.8% |
| 1908 | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1909 | 1.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.0% |
| 1910 | 1.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.0% |
| 1911 | 1.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1912 | 1.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1913 | 1.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1914 | 1.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1915 | 1.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1916 | 1.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1917 | 1.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1918 | 1.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1919 | 1.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1920 | 1.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1921 | 1.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1922 | 1.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1923 | 1.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1924 | 1.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1925 | 1.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1926 | 1.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 1927 | 1.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1928 | 1.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1929 | 1.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1930 | 1.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1931 | 1.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1932 | 1.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1933 | 1.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1934 | 1.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.8% |
| 1935 | 1.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.2% |
| 1936 | 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1937 | 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1938 | 1.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1939 | 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1940 | 1.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.5% |
| 1941 | 2.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1942 | 2.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1943 | 2.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1944 | 2.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1945 | 1.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.9% |
| 1946 | 1.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1947 | 1.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1948 | 1.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1949 | 2.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1950 | 2.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +22.5% |
| 1951 | 2.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +17.1% |
| 1952 | 2.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.9% |
| 1953 | 2.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.7% |
| 1954 | 2.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.6% |
| 1955 | 2.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1956 | 2.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.1% |
| 1957 | 2.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1958 | 2.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1959 | 2.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.5% |
| 1960 | 2.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1961 | 2.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.7% |
| 1962 | 2.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.8% |
| 1963 | 2.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.8% |
| 1964 | 2.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.9% |
| 1965 | 2.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.6% |
| 1966 | 2.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.1% |
| 1967 | 2.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -17.8% |
| 1968 | 2.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.2% |
| 1969 | 2.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +32.0% |
| 1970 | 3.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 2.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.4% |
| 1972 | 3.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +21.1% |
| 1973 | 3.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.5% |
| 1974 | 3.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 3.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 3.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.1% |
| 1977 | 3.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +17.4% |
| 1978 | 3.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.4% |
| 1979 | 3.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.9% |
| 1980 | 3.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 3.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.9% |
| 1982 | 3.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 3.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 3.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 3.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 3.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 3.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 3.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 3.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 3.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 3.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 3.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 3.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 4.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.7% |
| 1995 | 4.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1996 | 4.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 4.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 4.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 4.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 4.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 4.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 4.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 4.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.1% |
| 2004 | 5.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 5.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.7% |
| 2006 | 6.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.1% |
| 2007 | 6.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.3% |
| 2008 | 6.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 2009 | 7.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 7.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.2% |
| 2011 | 8.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.4% |
| 2012 | 8.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 8.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 8.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 8.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 8.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 8.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 8.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 8.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 8.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 9.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 9.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.9% |
| 2023 | 9.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 2.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.9× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | +32.0% | 2.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.9913 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.9544 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.8032 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6948 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.927 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.7049 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6853 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.721 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.8421 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7526 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.9112 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.964 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 1.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 35 Belarus 10.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 36 Botswana 10.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 37 Norway 10.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 39 Paraguay 9.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 40 Bhutan 9.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 41 Belgium 9.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
More climate change data for China
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 31.25 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 604,831 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 191,478 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 413,353 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 722.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 342,069 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 200,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 141,464 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 757 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita greenhouse gas emissions in China?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in China was 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6853 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1875.
- How does China rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions?
- China ranks 38th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita greenhouse gas emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes per person of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.